New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-22
TIE REPUBLIC DISASTER TERDICT |

TIE REPUBLIC DISASTER TERDICT.
The verdict of the Coroncrs jury that sat on
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad wreck at Re
public, Ohio, is a comprehensive indictment of
the corporation. 1t appears that in the present
state Of the Ohio law no criminal proceedings
can be Instituted against the responsible per-
sons, and it may DO that this strange hiatus in
the State machinery for the protection Of tho
public will be filled now that attention is drawn
TO IL in so emphatic manner for if the find
ings of the Coroncrs jury are susceptible Of
demonstration it is impossible to avoid the con-
clusion that somebody in this case has been
guilty Of constructive homicide. Tho
findings arc 20 the effect that the corporation
sent out freight engine which was in so
dilapidatcd condition that the leakage from
the boiler put out the fire and brought the train
TO a helpless standshll ut the spot where the
collision occurred. 1t is declared that the
state OF this crginc was well known to the rail-
road authorities, who Notwithstanding kept 1t
in service The engineer Of the fret ght en-
CINE is said not 10 have been drunk as at first
charged, but physically and mentally exhausted
and incapacitatcd by nearly nearly seventeen
hours of continuous work. his labor having
been increased by the inc!licicncy Of a green
fireman.
1t is further charged that the conductor Of
the freight train failed in his duty to flag the
train though he knew that the engine was
dead ten minutes before the express was due.
And the jury find that the brakes on the cxpreT
were inferior and Ineffective inasmuch a.
they failed to diminish speed Of forty-thrcc
miles an hour moro than one-half in distance
of 900 feet. More than this, tho methods Of
heating and lighting the cars are declared to
have been inferior. unsafe and dangerous, and
contrary to the laws Of the State of Ohio. The
general conclusion is that the victims came to
their death through gross negligence on the
part of the officials and managers Of the Chi
cago division Of the Baltimore and Ohio road,
of Garrett, Ind. and through the grOs ncgli-
Pcncc Of Conductor L. 7. Fletcher and through
gross negligence on the part Of the owners,
managers and officials Of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railway Company If the premises are
sound no other conclusion can be reached
For according to these findings there was really
nothing "accidcntal" about the disaster.
From first TO last everybody and everything
upon which responsibility rested betrayed trust.
The officers whose duty it was to sec that the
locomotives were in good repair neglected
their duty The freight engineer was made
incapable Of doing hiS full duty ly nccdcssly
cxactng service The conductor who knew
the danger which threatened failed TO take pre-
cautions against it. And the same general ir-
responsibility provided the express with brakes
which would not stop her III tune 10 avoid
collision.
Hardly anything was omitted in the line OF
neglect Of duty which could have contributed
TO the fatality of the disaster. As usual, the
heating and lighting arrangements were such
that the wreck promptly took fine, and thus the
pa scngcrs were delivered over 10 n horrible
death which Il would be simply ridiculous to
designate ~ the result Of accident Faith
lcssness to duty is the accusation which at once
explains this case and condemns all who share
the responsibility for it and behind this faith
lcssncss lies the base motive Of a soullcss greed
Of gain Nothing clrc will account for the
consccncelcss oyerworking first Of the engine
then OF the engineer The reckless retention
Of brakes which would not work, and Of car
heating and lighting apparatus which mcnaccd
public safety continually, must lie a-cntcd TO
the same sorlid cause To secure n few more
dollars out Of the business Of the road the lives
of all who travelled. the property Of all who
shipped over the road, were put in jeopardy.
and nobody cared and nobody incrfcrcd, until
the horror at Republic occurred, not in any
sense fortuitously. but rs the logical outcome
Of tho dishonest and inefficient service Of the
read. If the findings in this case do not move
tho Ohio Legislature TO provide heavy penal
ties for similar Iachcs, it will lie strange but
in any case The facts now put on record must
open the way in tie civil courts for the rccov-
cry Of exceptionally heavy damages.